It's set to be a busy March with events for start-ups, small businesses and job seekers taking place right across the country. The first nationally coordinated Local Enterprise Week, with a range of events taking place in 31 Local Enterprise Offices, takes place from March 7 to 13, and Feeding Ireland’s Future Skills for Work Week aimed at jobseekers takes place Monday 29 February to Friday 4 March.
We've some highlights from each of the initiatives, and where to go for more information.
LEO’s Local Enterprise Week
Over 300 events are being planned across every county in Ireland as part of the first Local Enterprise Week, aimed at anyone thinking of starting a business, new start-ups and growing SMEs.
Local Enterprise Week will also showcase the wide range of supports available to Ireland's small business community, from grants to mentoring and from training to business advice.
The Local Enterprise Offices, which are the first-stop-shop for Ireland’s small businesses, are the driving force behind Local Enterprise Week, working in partnership with other state bodies and agencies, third level institutions, Chambers of Commerce, Community Enterprise Centres and the private sector.
Here’s a quick cross section of Local Enterprise Week events happening across the country:
How to raise finance for your business
Tuesday 8 March (9am – 12pm), An Grianan Hotel, Burt, Donegal
This event aims to give attendees a detailed overview of Government funding available for small and medium sized business.
For more information on this event, click here.
Maximise the Value of Your Network
Wednesday 9 March (10:00am - 1:00pm), Rochestown Park Hotel, Douglas, Co. Cork
Understand and measure the potential of your network with this interactive morning. Participants will also learn the skills and techniques of creating effective networks.
For more information on this event, click here.
Tech Founders Summit
Wednesday 9 March (2pm - 5pm), Amber Springs Hotel, Gorey, Wexford
At the Tech Founders Summit, you’ll get to meet and be inspired by those who have been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and then introduced a disruptive technology to replace it!
For more information on this event, click here.
Retail - The Winning Formula
Wednesday 9 March (6:30pm - 8pm), Gleeson’s Townhouse, Market Square, Roscommon Town.
Learn winning strategies for growing your business and gain competitive advantage on the high street with this Local Enterprise Week event run by LEO Roscommon.
For more information on this event, click here.
Supporting SMEs
Supporting SMEs Campaign will be touring the country at a number of Local Enterprise Week events providing information on over 80 Government supports available to small business. Come say hi to the team at the Sources of Finance event in Clare; Financial Supports Breakfast Briefing in Leitrim; and Finance Friday in Louth. Find out more about the online tool here.
What is a LEO?
Local Enterprise Offices provide advice, information and support in starting up or growing a business. LEOs are for people interested in starting up a new business or already in business including entrepreneurs, early stage promoters, start-ups and small business looking to expand. There are 31 dedicated teams across the Local Authority network in Ireland.
Find your Local Enterprise Office.
Find out more about LEO services and supports.
Feeding Ireland’s Future: Skills for Work Week 2016.
Feeding Ireland's Future is an annual initiative run by the Government and the Irish food and grocery industry - Ireland’s biggest private sector employers - which helps support young unemployed people by providing a range of skills sessions and work experience to help them become job ready.
This year’s Feeding Ireland’s Future Skills for Work week will run from Monday 29 February to Friday 4 March.
The objective for 2016 is to build on the success of the previous two years by providing new ways of getting involved and attracting a wider range of participating companies.
Youth Reach
This year Feeding Ireland’s Future will link up with Youth Reach to allow companies provide pre-employment skills sessions for early school leavers. A range of 13 Youth Reach centres spread across the country will participate in 2016.
Find out more about Feeding Ireland’s Future
Watch this video to learn more about this initiative:
To get involved with Skills for Work week, employers can email: declancarolan@ecrireland.ie
Jobseekers can email: feedingirelandsfuture@welfare.ie
To find out more about Feeding Ireland's Future Skills for Work Week.
For more information
Feeding Ireland’s Future is one of a number of Government initiatives to help people get people into employment. Find out more about Government's strategies to build the right conditions to create jobs and tackle unemployment.